Card-index drawer.



PATENTED JAN. 9, 1906.

W. LUMLEY.

CARD INDEX DRAWER. APPLIOATION FILED D110. 4, 1902.

UNITED STATES WILLIAM LUMLEY, CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

CARD-INDEX DRAWER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 9, 1906.

Application filed December 4,1902. Serial No. 133,820-

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM LUMLEY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois,

' have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Card-Index Drawers, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact specification.

My invention relates to that class of drawers employed for holding card-indexes, which are usually provided with afiat rod upon which the cards, having keyhole-slots, are strung, the purpose of the rod being to hold the cards against Withdrawal until the rod is turned edgewise to permit the narrower portion of the slot to pass over it; and my invention has for its primary object to provide a simple and inexpensive means for preventing the rotation of the rod.

My invention also has for its object to provide simple and improved means for holding the follower-block in position.

With these ends in view my invention consists in certain features of novelty in the construction, combination, and arrangement of parts by which the said objects and certain other objects hereinafter appearing are attained, all as fully described with reference to the accompanying drawings, and more particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the said drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of a card-index drawer provided with my improvements, portions of the drawer being broken away. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the lockingplate hereinafter described. Fig. 2 is a view of an index-card. Fig. 3 is a rear elevation thereof looking from the inner side of the drawer and showing the rod in transverse section in its locked position and in dotted lines in its unlocked position. Fig. 4 is a detail plan section of the bearing for the forward end of the rod, and Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the follower.

1 represents the sides, 2 the front, and 2* the back of the ordinary card-index drawer, in the bottom of which is formed a slot 3, along which is arranged a flat rod 4, on which the index-cards 5, having keyhole slots 6, are strung in the usual way. The rear or inner end of the rod 4 is journaled in a hole 2 in the back 2 of the drawer in any suitable way, and, if desired, this hole 2 may be provided with a bushing 2, in which the rod rotates. The front end of the rod is journaled in a plate 7, secured to the front 2 of the drawer, the front end of the rod beingp'referably reduced, as shown in Fig. 4, where it passes through the plate, and the outer end of this reduced portion may be threaded, as shown at 4*, for the attachment of an operating-knob 4", whereby the rod may be rotated.

Secured to the inner side of the front .2 is a flexible-plate 9, which extends downwardly across the rod 4 and is provided with a transverse or horizontal slot 10, in which the rod 4 engages. The upper sideof this slot 10 is the full width of the rod, but the lower side is less than one-half the width of the rod, as better shown in Fig. 3. By this means it will be seen that so long as the rod is in engagement with the notch 10 it cannot be rotated;

but in order that the rod may be turned on i edge when it is desired to remove the card, the rod is provided in one side with notch 11, which is turned toward the plate 9, so that by inserting the finger under the front of the drawer and engaging the lower end of the plate 9 the latter may be deflected outwardly until it stands in the notch 11, whereupon there will be nothing to hold the notched side of the rod from turning upward in the act of rotating to bring the edge of the rod in line with the narrow portion of the slot in the card, the lower side of the slot 10 in the plate 9 being less in width than one-half the width of the rod, so that it cannot prevent the unnotched side or edge of the rod from turning downwardly.

If desired, the lower side of the slot 10 on the rear side of the plate 9 may be provided with a lip 12 to form a surer bearing for the rod when the plate 9 is allowed to spring inwardly for holding the rod against rotation.

13 represents the follower block or board, which slides on the bottom of the drawer and is locked in place where desired by means of a V-shaped spring-plate 17, which is secured to the back of the block in any suitable way and is provided in its lower extremities with two registering passages 18, through which the rod 4 passes. The tendency of the extremities of this plate 17 is to spring apart, and by the friction of the edges of the passages against the rod 4 it is enabled to hold the block in any position where set with relation to the length of the drawer. In order to adjust the block,

it is simply necessary to place the finger behind it and press the extremity of the plate 17 a suflicientdegree to enable it to slide freely on the rod.

By these means it will be seen that I provide a card-index drawer which is exceedingly simple and inexpensive and at the same time effieient.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new therein, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a card-index drawer the combination of the drawer, a card-holding rod journaled therein and having an eccentric portion adapted to stand out of line with the entrance to the slot of the card for holding the card in place, and a deflectable member normally engaging said eccentric portion for holding the rod against rotation, and adapted to be deflected out of engagement with said eccentric portion for permitting the rod to rotate, substantially as set forth.

2. In a card-index drawer the combination of the drawer, a flattened rod j ournaled therein and having a notched or narrowed portion and a deflectable plate engaging said rod adjacent to said notched or narrowed portion for holding the rod against rotation when in one position and permitting of its rotation when deflected opposite the notched or narrowed portion, substantially as set forth.

3. In a card-index drawer the combination of the drawer, a rotatable flattened rod journaled therein and having a narrowed or notched portion and a deflectable plate having anotch in which said rod engages, one side of the notch in said plate extending but partially across said rod, substantially as set forth.

4. Ina card-index drawer the combination of the drawer, a rotatable flattened rod journaled therein and having a notched or narrowed portion and a deflectable holder for said rod embracing the edge thereof at a point adjacent to said notched or narrowed portion, substantially as set forth.

5.- In a card-index drawer the combination of the drawer, a rotatable flattened rod journaled therein and having a notched or narrowed portion and a deflectable plate having a notch in which said rod engages, one side of said notch being of less length than the width of said rod and having the lip 12, substantially as set forth.

, 6. In a card-index drawer, the combination of a drawer, a card-holding rod secured in the bottom thereof, a follower block located across said drawer and a springtongue secured rigidly at one end directly to said block and having its other end provided withan aperture in which said rod fits, said tongue being arranged normally at an angle to the face of the block and at an obtuse angle to the rod and flexible toward said face of the block.

7. In a card-index drawer the combination of the drawer, a flattened rod journaled in said drawer longitudinally thereof, a follower in said drawer and a \I-shaped spring-plate secured to said follower and having registering apertures for the passage of said rod, substantially as set forth.

8. In a card-index drawer, the combination of adrawer, a card-holding rod secured therein, a follower located across the drawer and a spring-tongue secured at one end to the follower and projecting normally at an angle to the face of the follower and having an aperture through which the said rod passes and gripping and binding said rod, the spring being compressible toward said face of the follower for releasing the rod.

WM. LUMLEY.

Witnesses:

F. A. HOPKINS, M. B. ALLSTADT. 

